New project supports contemporary composers

PRS Foundation and the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) have announced the next 11 orchestras who will benefit through its Resonate programme. The programme will see 11 contemporary UK compositions performed by 11 UK orchestras during the 2017-18 season. Each of the pieces was penned in the last 25 years, and includes work by Thomas Ades and Judith Weir.

Ades’ composition In Seven Days will be performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra, while Southbank Sinfonia will play Weir’s Winter Song. Martin Suckling, Errollyn Wallen, Benedict Mason, Michael Tippet, Gary Carpenter, James MacMillan, Gavin Higgins and David Matthews are the other featured composers.

Groups taking part include Aurora Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Chineke! Orchestra, London Contemporary Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Ulster Orchestra.

Resonate is a joint venture between PRS Foundation, ABO and BBC Radio 3. Orchestras who add selected contemporary UK compositions to their programmes can receive up to GBP10,000 (€11,750) in Resonate funding.

‘Spread widely across the country, and with a diverse mix of composers, it will truly showcase the very best of recent compositions and the nation’s greatest orchestras,’ commented ABO director Mark Pemberton.

Resonate’s database contains 713 works from 189 UK composers. The goal of the project is to make audiences aware of works from the UK’s best contemporary composers.

resonate.abo.org.uk